Supervisors info:
Παπαρρηγόπουλος Θωμάς, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ, Επιβλέπων
Πομίνι Βαλέρια, Αφυπ. ΕΔΙΠ, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Τριανταφύλλου Καλλιόπη, Επιστημονική Συνεργάτις, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Introduction: Intimate partner violence and alcohol use disorder among women are two public health issues that bring both individual and social consequences, the possibility of cooccurrence and association between them should not be ignored. Previous studies refer to association between intimate partner violence and alcohol use disorder among women and also the effects on quality of life and emotional difficulties. Aim: This study investigates the intimate partner violence against women in relation to alcohol use disorder, examining also the factors of quality of life and emotional difficulties along with anxiety and depression, with the intention of recording this phenomenon as completely as possible. More particularly, the aim of this study is the investigation of quality of life and emotional difficulties in women with history of intimate partner violence in comparison to the quality of life and emotional difficulties in women with history of intimate partner violence and alcohol use disorder. Method: This cross sectional study was conducted based on a sample of 62 women (mean age 39,6 years, SD=10,7 years) who turn to Women’s Counseling Centers and Counseling and Treatment Station for Alcohol Dependence in Athens, from November 2022 to October 2023. The sample was derived from 3 Women’s Counseling Centers in Athens, Halandri and Keratsini-Drapetsona and one Counseling and Treatment Station for Alcohol Dependence in Kypseli. Women Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), two self administered questionnaires were used in order to detect intimate partner violence and alcohol use disorder respectively. In addition, beneficiaries answered two more self administered questionnaires World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BFEF) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) as regards their quality of life and emotional difficulties and also questions about the demographics. Results: The majority of the participants report that they have suffered emotional abuse (75,8%), physical abuse (21%), sexual abuse (1,6%) and 51,6% of them also developed alcohol use disorder. 37,1% of the participants’ partners used substances during the period when the study was conducted, while 40,3% also used substances in the past. Moreover, 67,7% of surveyed women appear to have suffered high intensity abuse. 50% of surveyed women rate their overall health, fair or poor while 33,3% of which suffer chronic psychiatric problems. Conclusion: This study is a first attempt to survey the association between intimate partner violence and alcohol use disorder, examining the factors of quality of life and emotional difficulties. The research findings indicate that both women with history of intimate partner violence and women with history of intimate partner violence and alcohol use disorder are particularly vulnerable populations, which have poor quality of life and are at risk for developing comorbidity of mental disorders and physical diseases. More specifically, both intense emotional and physical violence and tension in the intimate relationship lead to high percentage of depression. Intimate partner violence and alcohol use disorder implied poor social relationships. Women, in particular, with history of intimate partner violence evaluate worse their social relationships.
Keywords:
Ιntimate partner violence, Alcohol use disorder, Women, Quality of life, Emotional difficulties
